How Much Is That Werewolf In the Window?
by ChimeraDragon
Summary: Based off the promos for season 4. Derek has been kidnapped and Stiles an Lydia go to save him. Sterek if you squint "We're looking for Derek Hale, " Stiles said with a straight, blank face. "We hear he can be bought, " Lydia added with a half sweet, half evil smile.


"We're looking for Derek Hale, " Stiles said with a straight, blank face.

"We hear he can be bought, " Lydia added with a half sweet, half evil smile.

"A great many things can be bought. And for much less than Hale is going for. Why do you want him specifically?" The man on the other side of the table asked, accent thick but diffcult to place as he watched the teens in front of him with a cautious eye.

"Sentimental reasons," Stiles replied as he rolled his eyes. He made sure to turn down the corner of his mouth to make it look like he was getting bored with the conversation. "Look. Do you have him or not?"

"We do. But I think he'd be little out of the price range of a couple of teenagers," the man replied with a sneer.

"How about twenty thousand?" Lydia asked, looking bored. She placed two stacks of money on the table and waited patiently. She raised an eyebrow as two minutes ticked by with Stiles bouncing his leg restlessly. "If there's a problem with the amount say so and we can negotiate."

The man nodded in appreciation for Lydia's nerves of steel. "Boss said Hale isn't to go for less than sixty," he said lowly.

Stiles sputtered as he put another $10,000 on the table. "That's more than a simple mark up. That's way above what a beta normally goes for," he countered.

"Standard price is twenty, " Lydia added. "So thirty should more than cover his cost."

The man merely raised an eyebrow but made no other facial expression.

"Highway robbery, " Stiles growled as he put another stack of money on the table.

"I'm sure you kids know how to count. That's only forty."

"And we don't have proof you have the merch," Stiles replied as he lazed back in his chair.

The man gave an ugly smile and nodded. There was a metallic scrapping and the sound if something large being dragged across the ground. Derek lay limply in the bottom of a small metal cage. His hair was matted to his scalp, his clothes were destroyed and covered in blood and dirt, and he looked like he was stuck in his beta form.

Stiles looked worried for a moment before he managed to look like he was examining Derek. "You don't really take care of your merch, do you? We're going to spend a while getting him cleaned up. Forty is more than fair."

"Sixty."

"Forty five, " Lydia countered.

"Fifty five."

"Fifty."

"Done."

Stiles made a slightly distressed noise as he counted out the stacks of cash Chris Argent had given them. The man across the table gave him a dirty, distrustful look. "What? It's highway robbery for what we want," he countered the look.

"Rare items are more expensive. If you just wanted a wolf we have plenty," the man replied calmly. "And they are much cheaper."

Stiles waved a dismissive hand as he counted out the stacks. "Nah. I kinda have my heart set on this one." He tried hard to keep from looking right at Derek again while he spoke but glanced over for a second. He winced as he saw the older man stir a bit and heard a groan of pain.

"You sure can handle a werewolf, kid?" The man asked as he looked up and down Stiles, measuring the skinny frame before him.

Stiles waved a dismissive hand again as he pulled out a thick chain that ended with a pendant engraved with a triskle and a wolf on it. He dangled the pendant over the table for a few seconds before tugging it up and catching it in his hand again, letting the chaing dangle. "This is all I need," he replied cryptically.

"Oh really?" The man replied disbelief clear in his eyes. "Doubt it."

"Then you've never heard of a druid?" Lydia asked as she examined her nails for a moment, trying to hide the nerves she was feeling.

"Not one strong enough to control a werewolf, " the man countered.

"I'm not going to control him," Stiles scoffed. His eyes went wide as he rambled on. "It doesn't work that way. But it does something better! It tells him that we're part of his Pack. And that he should really listen to us and do what we tell him. Kind of like I'm his Alpha. Makes him more valuable to us that way."

"And what if I took that and put it on him?" The man asked with a calculating look on his face.

"It would still register as us being the ones on charge. It's keyed to us, and kinda me ... specifically. Now, can we take our purchase and go?" Stiles asked as he started bouncing his leg again and playing with the chain in his hand. His fingers drifted over the pendant a few times before he managed to hold still.

The man looked them over again for a moment before nodding as he took the cash and stood. The lackies that had dragged Derek's cage in unlocked it and left.

Stiles hopped to his feet and started towards Derek. He skidded to a halt at the unwavering stare in his direction. "Is something wrong?"

The man shook his head. "Just making sure you know what you're doing," the man replied.

Stiles huffed but finished walking over to Derek. He knelt down and let the chain dangle for a few moment. "I'm going to put this over your head," he murmured softly as he slowly reached in before dropping the chain around the wolf's neck. The pendant glowed blue for a second. "You need to trust me. Come with me. We're here to help you."

Derek managed to look up, eyes flashing blue but remained unfocused as he slowly made sense of what was being said. He nodded and reached for Stiles, careful to avoid cutting the teen with his claws. He leaned into the helping hands with a quiet whimper.

"You'll be feeling better in a little bit," Stiles said, voice soft and gentle as he helped Derek stand up.

Derek nodded as he felt his back pop, and realign as he was able to fully stand and stretch.

"That pendant is very special, " he breathed so that only Derek could hear him. Derek nodded again and leaned into the teen's broad shoulder with another soft sigh. He could feel power flooding his body, helping him heal and draw strength from Stiles and Lydia. He took in a sharp, involuntary breath but managed to keep from shifting back to his human form.

"Make him do something... so that I know you can handle him."

Stiles swallowed hard and looked up, not sure how Derek was feeling yet. He stood tall with Derek moving away just enough to show he could stand on his own.

"Why should we? You've been paid, he's going to follow us, and you don't have to worry about any of it," Lydia asked as she stood from the table and started to head for the door. Utterly bored with the whole conversation and more than ready to leave.

"Because, we won't let you leave until you can," the man said.

Derek subtly nudged Stiles to show the teen he was on board with whatever the teen had in mind.

Stiles smiled wickedly, more than ready to be done with the whole nasty situation. "Derek?"

Derek's head came up and his eyes glowed as he made a questioning noise.

"Get 'em!"

The End


End file.
